For the past couple months, I’ve been co-chairing a committee with Henry Houh of Podzinger which is organizing this winter’s MIT Enterprise Forum conference. Entitled “Brave New Web,” it’s going to be held on February 7th at the Colonnade Hotel in Boston. We’re focusing the conference’s content with sessions on how the web is dramatically changing the way that people and communities communicate, contribute, and collaborate. I’d encourage regular readers of this blog who are in the area to attend, as many of the themes which I’ve written about in the past are going to be explored with some notable speakers (see list at the end of this post). You can learn more details and register for the all-day event on the conference website.

In addition to “traditional” conference content of keynote speakers and panel sessions, the Brave New Web event is also going to have a “Demo Lunch” where local web startups will have an opportunity to present their service to attendees. I am also heading the group which will be selecting this set of seven New England based self-, angel-, and VC-backed companies whose business model integrates pioneering use of the next generation web. Each chosen company will receive a table in a designated area adjacent to attendees’ lunch seating and the opportunity to walk through live demonstrations of their offering or service. If your startup is interested in presenting in this forum, you can learn more and apply online here.

The two keynotes for the MIT Enterprise Forum Brave New Web conference are:

* Jeremy Allaire, Chairman and CEO of Brightcove (keynote)
* John Furrier, CEO of PodTech (keynote)

And other notable speakers to date (with more soon to be announced):

* Adam Bain – Executive Vice President, Technology & Production, Fox Interactive Media
* Laurie Baird – Director of Technology Partnerships, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
* Jose Castillo – President of thinkjose.com
* Steve Garfield – Blogger, videoblogger and Boston correspondent, Rocketboom.com
* Tom Gerace – Founder and CEO, gather.com
* Nick Gogerty – Founder and CEO, InClue
* Phil Hollows – Founder and CEO, FeedBlitz
* Henry Jenkins – Co-director, Comparative Media Studies Program, MIT
* Joseph B. Lassiter III – Professor of Management Practice, Harvard Business School
* Amber MacArthur – New media reporter/host, CityTV
* Andy Plesser – Founder and CEO, Beet TV
* Juliette Powell – CEO and executive producer, Inspiration Festival
* Scott Smigler – Founder and president, Exclusive Concepts
* Jeff Taylor – CEO, Eons
* Jon Udell – Evangelist, Microsoft